This page is a compendium of items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, damnable prevarications, rants and amusing anecdotes - about LAUSD and/or public education that didn't - or haven't yet - made it into the "real" 4LAKids blog and weekly e-newsletter at http://www.4LAKids.blogspot.com . 4LAKidsNews will be updated at arbitrary random intervals.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

August 30, 2008 - Even while grappling with funding shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District is employing more than 800 consultants - paid, on average, more than twice as much as regular employees - to oversee school construction.

The Facilities Services Division spends about $182 million on its 849 consultants, almost $215,000 each. The division's regular employees are paid about $99,000 each.

The practice has prompted concerns and a growing number of inquiries from the district's board members and LAUSD's bond oversight committee.

"It's the big secret everybody knows and the taxpayers of L.A. County are paying for," said Connie Moreno, a labor representative of the California School Employees Association.

"It looks real good that they get all these schools built, but no one knows the real cost."

District officials defend the practice, saying use of consultants ebbs and flows with the various stages of construction.

And facilities chief Guy Mehula said employee salaries don't measure up to industry wages, so the only way to complete the work is by using independent contractors.

"In many cases, the expertise is more expensive than we can hire as an employee," he said.

Senior Deputy Superintendent Ray Cortines agreed that consultants can get the work done quickly and correctly, but said he is also concerned about the district's reliance on outside workers. "We need to look at it, to reduce the number of consultants," he said.

A report on facilities consultants, including a recommendation, is expected next week.

While it may not be politically viable to offer raises to construction staff and management while teachers and other school staff members are laid off, reassigned or possibly forced to take unpaid days off, at least one board member insists a solution can be found.

"It's not an either-or," said board member Yolie Flores Aguilar. "It's about finding the balance and making sure we're in compliance."

In the seven main branches of the Facilities Services Division, there are 3,479 district employees who earn a total of about $347 million, according to district records.

The division employs 849 consultants who earn a total of about $182.6 million.

Most of the consultants work in two branches: new construction and existing facilities.

Consultants working on new construction number 379 - more than twice the number of their regular-employee counterparts, 178.

And 385 consultants work on existing facilities - about 12 percent of all personnel in the branch that includes nearly 2,600 regular employees in maintenance and operations.

Mehula said that to build on the scale of LAUSD's unprecedented construction effort - the largest of its kind in the country - the district needs to hire experts or it could end up with another debacle like that surrounding the Belmont Learning Center, now renamed Vista Hermosa.

Once a symbol of failure, the Belmont complex, built downtown atop an oil field and an earthquake fault, cost hundreds of millions of dollars over more than a decade of construction.

"In 2001, there was no in-house expertise," Mehula said. "That's what happened with Belmont."

While experts in real estate, environmental science, design and construction are key to projects that must be economical and innovative, most of them hold positions not necessarily needed in the long term, he said.

For existing facilities, Mehula said, 112 consultants were dropped in the past year. But if those consultants were needed as employees, he said, the district would not be able to afford them.

Los Angeles Unified's refusal to raise the wages for employees and management in the facilities division has long been a concern of the bond oversight committee, composed of parents, local government officials and representatives of special-interest groups.

The committee passed a resolution July 31 condemning the district for not paying higher wages, stating that the ability to attract and retain "top quality management" is being compromised.

The panel also said the district "is actually forced to pay far more for contractors to fill many positions."

Measure Y, the district's $4 billion construction bond measure passed in 2005, requires the district to survey construction firms across the country twice a year to ensure facilities management is paid comparable industry wages.

Multiple district surveys found that pay is lower, but raises are not feasible, according to Cortines.

"As you know, there is a budget crisis where some of our valuable staff members are losing their jobs," Cortines wrote in a letter to Thomas Rubin, the oversight committee's consultant.

"The board has some very tough decisions in the near future, including pay cuts and furloughs. It would not be responsible for the district to prompt pay raises for the very top levels of management in this environment."

Flores Aguilar agrees that facilities employees and managers should be paid more.

"We want the best that we can get because we want to get it right," she said, and to avoid Belmont-type problems. But she acknowledged the political problem of offering raises to facilities employees while cutting funding for teachers and other direct education expenses.

"Unfortunately," she said, "and this goes for Los Angeles as well as the nation, we have not really appropriately funded education."

By George Sanchez, Staff Writer | Daily News

August 30, 2008 - Even while grappling with funding shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District is employing more than 800 consultants - paid, on average, more than twice as much as regular employees - to oversee school construction.

by A.J. Duffy from United Teacher

Aug 15 -- If you’ve been to the Beaudry building lately, you may have noticed that LAUSD has installed a pricey, state-of-the-art security system for headquarters—a building that I don’t need to remind you houses people who work far away from students.

By Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

A sharply critical report released Monday asserts that commercial publishers are going about the digital textbook revolution the wrong way. Researchers find that since students can re-sell printed books, the price is roughly the same, and that expiration dates on e-texts make them a less viable alternative for some students.

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 26, 2008 -- With classes in Mandarin, overseas trips to China and France, bus transportation for commuters and individualized fitness instruction that includes salsa and tai chi, new students at St. Genevieve High School quickly come to realize that things are a bit different at this Panorama City campus.

Democrats are almost certain to leave their convention in Denver united behind Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as their nominee for president.

But it less likely that they’ll settle an intraparty disagreement over the most pressing question in K-12 education policy: How much can the public expect of schools?

The stark differences emerged the week after Sen. Obama secured enough delegates to claim the nomination in June. On back-to-back days, two groups released public statements outlining approaches for improving K-12 achievement.

· One argued that policymakers need to invest in health care and other social programs before schools can deliver large increases in student achievement,

while the other said that increased accountability, the expansion of charter schools, and other education policies would result in better student outcomes.

August 25 -- Children across the country will return to school this year to face a money-hungry bully: the unstable economy.

Soaring food prices will extract more lunch money from students, while higher pump prices mean children will either pay more to ride a gas-guzzling bus or won't get a seat at all. Field trips are being reduced or scrapped altogether to save fuel.

It doesn't stop there.

California budget cuts mean students will compete for the attention of fewer teachers. Some electives will be nixed, and booster clubs and education foundations, which raise money for such things as classroom projects, are collecting less as businesses cut back and parents fret over job security.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen declared Friday that it is now too late to add any more measures to the November ballot, saying "any more changes would seriously jeopardize the integrity of the election." ... (more)

Though the tally isn't final yet, the state Senate budget vote failed along party lines, with 24 votes in favor and 15 against. The lone abstention was moderate Democratic Sen. Lou Correa of Orange County. See sacbee.com for more. ... (more)

It is unclear whether the proposal has the support of any Republicans.

By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 29, 2008 -- SACRAMENTO -- -- Democrats in the state Senate said they would attempt to break the budget impasse today by offering their own spending plan for a vote. It would be the first floor vote on the budget in that house since the fiscal year began 60 days ago.

By Frank D. Russo - California Progress report

Thursday Aug 28 7PM - Word has just been received that Democratic President pro Tem Don Perata has scheduled a vote on a compromise proposal to end the budget stalemate that has California on the verge of setting a record for the longest delay beyond the fiscal year for passing a budget. The vote is scheduled to take place tomorrow morning, August 29, at 10 a.m.

FROM THE CALIFORNIA progress report

Aug 28 /1PM - The state budget is now nearly two months late. Republican legislative leaders refuse to offer a budget for consideration, let alone level with California about the need to increase revenue in order to prevent very deep, draconian cuts.

The Associated Press | san Jose Mercury News

08/25/2008 12:15:42 PM PDT -- SACRAMENTO—Assembly Speaker Karen Bass has abandoned her plan not to hold sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a move that would have freed fellow Democrats to attend the party's national convention in Denver.

The LA Now Blog in the LA Times -- from Veronique de Turenne

10:55 AM, August 25, 2008 -- Tick-tock, tick-tock -- 56 days and counting without a state budget. Our own George Skelton sits down with California's governor to talk money, politics and (in the nicest way) says "I told you so" about raising taxes.

Confronted by realities, Schwarzenegger turns to tax hike: With the state budget 56 days overdue, the governor explains his shift on taxes.

George Skelton, LA Times | Capitol Journal

August 25, 2008 -- SACRAMENTO -- It can't be done, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was insisting, staring at me over a table in his office. You can't have a responsible, honest state budget without a tax increase. Not this year.

by A.J. Duffy from United Teacher

Aug 15 -- If you’ve been to the Beaudry building lately, you may have noticed that LAUSD has installed a pricey, state-of-the-art security system for headquarters—a building that I don’t need to remind you houses people who work far away from students.

I sent the letter at right to find out just how much of LAUSD’s scarce funds went into the system. I suspect the cost runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and much of it may be an ongoing expense. In this time of economic crisis, when every penny counts, is this the best use of taxpayer money? And what about our schools? The bureaucracy gets a top-of-the-line system, while too many of our schools struggle with safety issues and can’t even fill open security positions.

In addition to our concerns about cost, I’ve heard from many members that the security system itself is overkill. It involves multiple levels of security beyond what’s needed, and they tell me it’s stricter than federal court buildings just blocks away. The result is that it makes LAUSD headquarters an even more unwelcome place for the people it is supposed to serve: the teachers, parents, students, and community.

Duffy is the President of United Teachers Los Angeles.

●●smf's 2¢: Duffy is absolutely right on this. I have had conversations with board member's staff and they were surprised by the new level of security at Beaudry - prompted by what was presented as a routine security review and an incident earlier this year when a employee was supposedly threatened by the jealous (and murderous) husband of his girlfriend. The husband was captured and our lothario is safe - now protected by guards, ID checks, locked doors in the stairwells, security badges, and card scanners at every doorway. Beaudry is a building already as visitor unfriendly as can be imagined; every entrance is on a slope, there is no posted readily accessible handicapped parking and visitor parking is a block away.

Parents and students are the building's most important visitors - they should be welcomed, not screened. And the School Police's mission is to protect students, not the board of education, the superintendent or alleged adulterers.

From United Teacher | 8/15

SCHOOL BOARD PUTS $7 BILLION BOND ON BALLOT: Last month, the LAUSD School Board voted to put a $7 billion bond measure, the largest in local history, on the November ballot. UTLA was involved in shaping some of the details of the measure. The union was successful in increasing the amount of money that will go to iDivision schools, partnership schools, affiliated charters, and magnet schools. UTLA fought off a provision that would have allowed charter schools to take permanent ownership of buildings that LAUSD paid for and defeated a push by charter school supporters to exempt charters from following Field Act earthquake safety provisions when building new sites. On the downside, the bond earmarks $450 million for charter schools and does not include a provision supported by UTLA’s sister unions, CSEA and the Teamsters, that would have added some oversight into how LAUSD contracts out certain positions. UTLA’s governing bodies, the Board of Directors and the House of Representatives, will be deciding in the coming weeks whether UTLA will endorse the bond.

SCHOOLS CUTTING BACKON NURSING STAFFS NATIONWIDE: Medical duties have become a part of the job for some teachers as school districts have reduced their nursing staffs or required nurses to work at multiple locations, the Associated Press reported in a July story. The trend comes at a time when more students are dealing with serious medical conditions such as severe allergies, asthma, and diabetes. Federal guidelines call for having one nurse for every 750 students, but the national average is about one for every 1,150 students, according to the National Association of School Nurses. A quarter of the nation’s schools have no nurse at all, and the average nurse splits her time between 2.2 schools, according to the association.

FAILING IN SCHOOL MAY BE TOUGHER ON GIRLS THAN ON BOYS: Academic failure appears to trouble teenage girls more deeply than it does boys, according to a study by Carolyn McCarty, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. Her findings, which appear in the Journal of Adolescent Health, indicate that adolescent girls who are expelled or suspended, or who drop out of high school before they graduate, are more likely to have a serious bout of depression by age 21 than boys with similar experiences. “For girls there are broader implications of school failure,” said McCarty. “We already know that it leads to more poverty, higher rates of being on public assistance, and lower rates of job stability. And now this study shows it is having mental-health implications for girls.”

Friday, August 29, 2008

Though the tally isn't final yet, the state Senate budget vote failed along party lines, with 24 votes in favor and 15 against. The lone abstention was moderate Democratic Sen. Lou Correa of Orange County. See sacbee.com for more. ... (more) |

-- it makes MORE cuts to our schools, hospitals, and communities, now and into the future

-- it does NOT include the responsible, stable revenues needed to prevent deeper cuts and invest in the future."

4. Call again, pressing 2 to be connected directly to your Assembly member and tell them of your opposition to the Senate Budget Proposal.

Thanks to those of you who have called so many times already this very important (and very long) budget season. Why call again NOW? Two reasons:

· First, this weekend is the final deadline for any budget deal that would include items for the November 4th ballot, so the pressure is high for a final deal to be struck.

· Second, it's clear that all your calls, visits, letters, and direct actions in districts across the state have made a difference in holding the line on cuts to vital services and forcing reasonable revenue proposals into the conversation.

Now, our Senators and Assembly members must lead the charge to pass a responsible, compassionate budget. Let them hear from you NOW!

By George B. Sanchez, Staff Writer | DAILY NEWS/dAILY BREEZE

08/29/2008 Welcoming administrators back to school Thursday, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent David Brewer III outlined new measures to track student performance and urged educators to work harder to improve test scores.

Also, following a school year in which there were several reported cases of sexual abuse by teachers, Brewer said the district has developed a new system to report abuse.

While Brewer said individual schools had shown improvement, he noted there is still a deep achievement gap between white students and Latinos and African-Americans.

"Let me tell you what this is about," he said. "We have to hold ourselves accountable.

"This is the future of America," he said. "If we don't solve this, we will be a second-rate nation by 2020."

Strutting across the stage and speaking without the aid of a script, Brewer borrowed a quote from a preacher, telling his audience: "If you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat."

Educators, he said, need to leave behind the status quo, move beyond complacency and work to improve student achievement with the support of the community.

Debra Burris, an assistant principal at Woodland Hills Academy, said it was important that Brewer expressed faith in individual campus leaders.

"The important message is the belief in us that we can raise student achievement and that he has empowered us at our schools," Burris said.

LAUSD board member Julie Korenstein said, "He made people comfortable and he recognized them, which is the first time I've seen a superintendent do that."

In January the district will make available to parents and staff what Brewer called comprehensive school report cards tracking student achievement and post-graduation activity.

Also to be rolled out this year at 30 schools in the district is a Web-based program he termed "mydata," which will provide instant access to achievement rates for school sites, subgroups and individual students.

The program will be developed with principals and teachers, he said.

Brewer opened the address on that note, saying educators cannot break the trust of students and the community by allowing child abuse to go unnoticed.

Protecting an abuser, he warned, makes you an accessory in the eyes of the law and, he added, the issue will come out in the courts.

He urged educators to report suspected cases of abuse to authorities.

Brewer said a new system to report suspected abuse has been developed that involves principals, local superintendents and ultimately himself.

"Child abuse is going to be front and center in terms of your training and your development," he said.

Dee Apodaca, a field nurse coordinator, said she was glad to hear the connection between student safety and education.

"All of this supports the bottom line, which is student achievement," she said.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

LA Daily News

The SAT is a purely optional test, run by a private entity. While it counts for most (but not all) college admissions it is not part of the bank of "standardized tests" that "count" to the beancounters and scorekeepers in D.C. and Sacramento.

With the A-G Every Child College Prep" thinking in the ascendant - driving the wheels on the bus - these results are not good.

To college-bound high school seniors the STAR test (which does count to the beancounters in #1) the SAT is all important - and the STAR test unimportant. Perhaps we adults need to align our goals with those of students?

August 27, 2008 - Los Angeles Unified School District students' college application scores continue to lag behind national and state averages, according to results released today.

While the number of Los Angeles Unified students taking the SAT Reasoning Test has grown by about 1,000 students each year for the past five years, not quite half of last year's 36,000 high school seniors took the test.

Reading scores held steady at 438, but math and writing scores dropped from last year's levels.

In California, the average was 499 in reading, 515 in math and 498 in writing. The national average was 502 in reading, 515 in math and 494 in writing.

The LAUSD Class of 2008's average was 438 in math, compared with 443 in math scored by the previous year's senior class.

In writing, LAUSD's Class of 2008 averaged 440, down one point from the average of the previous class.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A sharply critical report released Monday asserts that commercial publishers are going about the digital textbook revolution the wrong way. Researchers find that since students can re-sell printed books, the price is roughly the same, and that expiration dates on e-texts make them a less viable alternative for some students.

By Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 26, 2008 -- Over the past year, seemingly everyone from Congress to the California auditor have decried college textbook costs, which have soared to an average of $700 to $1,000 per student each year. Many of these critics have pointed to online digital textbooks, which typically sell for half the price of print editions, as an affordable alternative.

But a sharply critical report released Monday asserts that commercial publishers are going about the digital textbook revolution the wrong way. Commercial e-textbooks are no cheaper than hard-copy editions when you take into account that students can sell print books back to the bookstore for half the cover price, according to the report from a national coalition of student public interest research groups. And restrictions on printing and online access make commercial e-books unfeasible for many students, the report said.

"Right now, publishers are on a crash course with e-textbooks," the report said. "They are expensive and impractical for a large portion of the student population."

Frank Lyman, executive vice president of CourseSmart, which released 4,000 digital titles from major publishers this fall, said not all college bookstores pay 50% for used textbooks. And digital textbooks offer advantages such as cut-and-paste and search functions that make them an attractive option.

"My overarching question is: How does the availability of this new choice hurt students?" Lyman said.

The report was based on a survey of 504 students from Portland State University and the City Colleges of Chicago. Fifty commonly assigned introductory textbooks were also reviewed. The author of the study is Nicole Allen, campaign director for Make Textbooks Affordable, a public interest research groups project.

Perhaps the report's most surprising finding -- at least to parents who can barely peel their college-age children away from their Facebook or MySpace pages -- was that only one-third of students said they were comfortable reading textbooks on a computer screen. Three-fourths said they would prefer a print textbook to an electronic one if the costs were equal.

The report said commercial publishers, however, have made it cumbersome and expensive to print out digital texts. "Biology," 8th edition, from Pearson publishers, sells for $173, and the e-book goes for $86.50. But buying and printing out the text would cost $211.87, the report said.

"The cost is totally dependent on which book they're talking about, the cost of printer cartridges and other things," Lyman said. In any case, his company has heard from students who say they only want to print out short sections, for note summaries or other purposes. "A student who wants to print out a whole book should buy a whole book."

The report also dinged commercial publishers for setting expiration dates on digital book subscriptions. "Calculus," 6th edition, from the publisher Cengage, is priced at $207.95 for a new hard copy; the e-text version is $103.99. Access expires after 180 days, although students typically study the book over two semesters, the report said.

"Once a student buys a textbook, it should be theirs to keep and access wherever and whenever they want," the study said. "Anything less than complete access would make digital books impractical for large numbers of students with limited access to computers and/or the Internet."

Lyman said most subscription periods match how long students need a text, and discrepancies are subject to review. "Chemistry: The Central Science," 10th edition, from Prentice Hall goes for $90.67 for a 540-day subscription.

"It's not a bad deal," Lyman said in an e-mail message.

The report called on college systems and faculty to support open digital textbooks, which are given away online without restrictions on use.

Lyman said he doubted that free online textbooks are a practical solution.

"I know the work that goes into creating a textbook, from the authorship to the infographics," Lyman said. "Let's let the students decide what they want."

New Report Says Digital Textbooks Are Off Track

August 26, 2008A growing number of textbook publishers are offering digital editions these days, but a new study by a student group argues that many of those digital editions do not have the features that students want.

The group, the Student Public Interest Research Groups, a collection of independent statewide organizations representing college students, surveyed 500 students from several campuses for the study. They found that students wanted digital textbooks to be more affordable than print versions, to be printable, and to be free from restrictions on how long they can be viewed. But the report said that the electronic textbooks offered by major publishers through CourseSmart, generally cost about the same as printed versions, limited printing to 10 pages per session, and expire after about 180 days. Publishers put such restrictions in place to try to prevent students from giving copies to their friends for free or trading them on pirate Web sites.

The survey showed that students feel strongly about the printed word. About 75 percent of those surveyed said they prefer a printed textbook over an electronic one. And 60 percent said that even if a free digital copy were available, they would still pay for a low-cost print version.

The report calls on professors and colleges to support more “open textbooks” that are offered free online.—Jeffrey R. Young

Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times - Karen Ponce, 17, a senior at St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City, helps freshman Branden Rios, 14, with his locker for the first time.

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 26, 2008 -- With classes in Mandarin, overseas trips to China and France, bus transportation for commuters and individualized fitness instruction that includes salsa and tai chi, new students at St. Genevieve High School quickly come to realize that things are a bit different at this Panorama City campus. A recent daylong pep rally celebrating 157 incoming freshmen that featured singing, dance routines, speeches and a pancake breakfast served by upper classmen sealed the deal.

The school has gained a reputation as one of the most innovative high schools in Los Angeles -- one that is bucking the trend of many other urban Catholic schools that have closed or are teetering on the brink due to crumbling facilities and declining enrollments.

A decade ago, St. Genevieve, too, was on the precipice before officials set about changing the nature of the school with fresh ideas that are now being replicated by other Catholic campuses. The school is well-known for its character-education curriculum instituted by Principal Daniel Horn, but it is also gaining recognition for a theater arts program that puts on two full orchestra plays each year.

And though 10 years ago only about 35% of St. Genevieve graduates went to college, last year's college enrollment was 100%, with 65% of students entering four-year universities.

The school this year had a waiting list for its freshman class and saw overall enrollment increase 13% from last year, with a current enrollment of 565 students. It is the only school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese with a bus system, picking up students from four areas in Los Angeles, including one stop near Daniel Murphy Catholic High School, an urban campus that closed at the end of May because of financial and enrollment pressures.

St. Genevieve's unorthodox methods had an immediate impression on freshman Victoria Abaunza.

"When I first came and my brother dropped me off and said 'Have a good day,' I was scared," said the 14-year-old. "It's so different than elementary school. But right away, all these new people, juniors and seniors, said 'hi' and treated me like family. Right away I felt like it was home."

Unlike some other schools, St. Genevieve's teachers and administrators are willing to take some risks, said academic counselor Allan Shatkin.

"People don't like change," said Shatkin, who has been teaching for 40 years, including the last eight at St. Genevieve. "You get people with vested interests that don't have anything to do with education. And in the public arena, people have tenure and there are political pressures. But people have to know that there are other ways of doing things that work. We are constantly experimenting."

That is seen in such initiatives as weekend and evening sessions, which occur several times per year. For night classes, students report to campus at 2 or 3 p.m. There is a dinner break and parents are invited to share in activities such as Mass or guest speakers.

The school closes for a week each year for a teachers retreat to discuss educational goals, but also to foster cooperation and trust. Last week, the entire student body was taken -- via 13 buses -- to a Los Angeles conference of governors from states that border Mexico to get a real-life civics lesson. Next month, everyone is going to see a "Sound Of Music" sing-along at the Hollywood Bowl. Part of the goal is to teach the teenagers comportment at such events.

The school is experimenting with starting classes an hour later, in line with research that has shown that teenagers don't absorb information as well during early morning hours. Classwork would be spread out over an extra 20 days at the end of the school calendar, alleviating nightly homework demands as well as student and teacher stress.

St. Genevieve is not without its challenges. Located on Roscoe Boulevard just west of Woodman Avenue in a troubled area known as the Witch's Hat, it inhabits one of the more crime-prone corners of the San Fernando Valley. But by nearly everyone's account, it is a haven from the tagging, theft, destruction of property and break-ins that are sometimes common in the neighborhood.

It has no metal detectors and police are not a daily presence.

"If there's any crime at St. Genevieve, I would be very surprised," said Tom Iaccino, a 1970 graduate who sent seven children to the school. "What Dan brought in was the idea that all of these kids are going to get a good education and go to college and that has a positive impact in this area of people respecting the school. For many of the families, their kids are the first ones to go to college and that gives them hope."

Other schools are beginning to take notice. St. Genevieve last week hosted the visiting head of a Van Nuys school who had come to check out programs. An administrator at a Catholic school in Lancaster is doing his doctoral dissertation on St. Genevieve's character-education program.

The school has found a way to present and market itself as an attractive alternative to higher-priced private schools and public charter schools, which also have the ability to innovate but lack spiritual and moral instruction that many parents seek, said Shane Martin, dean of the school of education at Loyola Marymount University. Other Catholic schools will have to follow suit to survive.

"St. Genevieve has a strong faculty, good leadership, clear vision and a success rate," said Martin. "Location is a big part of it. They provide one of the best options for parents looking for schools in that area."

Increasingly, though, families from outlying areas such as Sherman Oaks, Encino and Palmdale as well as Hollywood and South Los Angeles are enrolling students at the school, which charges an annual tuition of $6,775. The student body used to be predominantly Filipino and Latino, reflecting the surrounding neighborhood; it now includes a larger population of other Asian groups as well as whites and African Americans.

The biggest feeder school is St. Genevieve Elementary School, located next door. But that transfer has not always been automatic. Ten years ago, during its nadir, the school was noted only for its mediocrity -- and worse, the thuggish behavior of its athletes. Enrollment had declined to 359, students struggled academically, and St. Genevieve was at the top of no one's list -- including its sister elementary school.

"I was a teacher at the elementary school before the change in administration and we would encourage students to attend any other school but St. Genevieve High," said Juan Jasso, who is now the high school's director of admissions.

In 1999, Horn joined the school as principal and, responding to the Columbine school shootings that year, he instituted a character-education program. In 2003, St. Genevieve was the first Catholic school in the nation to be named a National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership based in Washington, D.C., and soon enrollment began to grow.

Character education has its skeptics. A 2007 report released under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education found that many programs have failed to prove their effectiveness. But Horn cites the turnaround of his school as the best evidence.

"We're trying to create a model high school to provide an example for others as a place where . . . we bring out the best in students," Horn said. "Daily attendance went up, enrollment went up, the number of students on the honor role has gone up. But more important are things that are hard to put a measuring stick to, like students who look you in the eye and are confident."

By Kristen A. Graham - Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted on Fri, Aug. 22, 2008 -- Building small high schools was a costly exercise in inequality. Teacher pay should be revamped, with financial rewards for special skills, not just longevity.

Superintendent ArleneAckerman gave her to-do list for schools.

After sizing up the Philadelphia School District for nine weeks, new superintendent Arlene Ackerman has plenty of areas she'd like to change.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Inquirer's editorial board, Ackerman discussed the district she found when she arrived in June and how she hopes to ratchet up results over the next five years. "We cannot continue to make incremental gains," Ackerman, who previously led the San Francisco and Washington, D.C., school systems, said yesterday. "We have to have dramatic gains."

Though there are some positives - she praised Philadelphia's curriculum as "one of the best I've seen" - Ackerman said the 167,000-student system she inherited lacked cohesion and follow-through.

"There's no strategic decisions in this district about how to bring everything together," she said. "We're causing our own problems by not thinking about things in a systemic way."

Reports would be commissioned and received, then tucked away in a drawer and not acted upon, she said.

Ackerman has begun an overhaul of the central office, eliminating more than 300 jobs so far. When she began asking questions about people's job functions, she said, the answers weren't clear and she found that services were duplicated.

She said she intended to continue fixing that.

One of the hallmarks of the district she inherited from Paul Vallas, the maverick schools chief who left in 2007, was small schools. Under Vallas' watch, 27 of the district's 33 new small high schools were opened. Just 17 large, comprehensive high schools remain in the city.

Ackerman - who did not suggest schools should be closed - said the small schools were "fiscal drains" that come with big price tags for staff and facilities and serve a limited number of students.

"For the young people who attend those schools, it's great," Ackerman said. "But could we have a situation where we didn't have to rob Peter to pay Paul?"

As a result of building schools with "criteria to keep some kids out, you leave the large comprehensive high schools with a serious lack of resources," she said.

That sentiment is unlikely to go over well among the parents and students attracted to specialized schools such as High School of the Future and Constitution High. As a group, the small high schools have outperformed larger schools, with high er test scores, greater attendance, and fewer discipline problems.

"Innovation for the sake of innovation is not something I'm interested in," Ackerman said.

Vallas did get results, she acknowledged. "But not fast enough," she said, pointing to the high dropout rates for black and Latino males as one area where the district has failed. "I certainly celebrate what Paul did, but it's certainly not going to be good enough for me."

Reached yesterday, Vallas declined to address Ackerman's criticism.

"New superintendents have the prerogative to bring whatever changes and best practices to the district they serve. I did that. I'm sure she's going to bring her own ideas to try to take the district to the next level, and I wish her the very best," said Vallas, now chief of the Recovery School District in New Orleans.

Ackerman has been clear that one of her core beliefs is ensuring the pie is divided fairly.

Now, 43 percent of the district's serious violent assaults are concentrated in just 14 schools, she said. That means 1,926 of the 4,480 violent incidents last year happened in those schools.

Those 14 are all on the list of the district's 23 lowest-performing schools, which will receive $12 million in extra support beginning this year, the superintendent said.

But the disparities stretch across the district.

She was stunned, Ackerman said, when she found out that the district's instr umental music programs are concentrated in the Northeast and Northwest, and that some schools in other parts of the city have none.

"Those inequalities to me are inexcusable," she said. "My job is to make sure we level this playing field so all children have equal resources."

One way she hopes to do that is by considering differentiated pay for teachers.

Traditionally, teachers are paid based on longevity and credentials. Ackerman wants to build rewards into the pay scale for those who work in challenging schools and those who are specialists in tough-to-staff subject areas such as science and math.

Some teachers already get bonuses for filling hard-to-staff jobs, but Ackerman is proposing an overhaul of the way teachers are paid, not a one-time cash infusion.

The district's neediest schools are now staffed by its most inexperienced teachers, often Teach for America recruits who commit to staying for just two years.

Given real incentives, "you'd see many more teachers who are experienced going into more challenging schools," Ackerman said.

With the teachers contract expiring Aug. 31, Ackerman said, she plans to advance her idea after she has had time to flesh it out.

Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said he'd like to hear more about the plan.

"It is something that we would be willing to talk about," Jordan said.

There is no money buil t into the district's $2.3 billion budget for teacher raises, so any salary hikes would mean belt-tightening elsewhere.

"We may indeed have to go back and make deeper cuts," Ackerman said.

Also on her horizon for the fall is starting a discussion of weighted student funding - where schools get more money for educating children with more educational needs, such as special-education students, or impoverished children. She wants a committee that includes parents to decide how the funding change can occur.

A weighted student funding pilot could be rolled out by next fall, with citywide adoption in September 2010.

She believes she has only a five-year window to effect change, Ackerman said, and she expects the district to make "major progress" every year. While scores have improved over last six years, more than half of all students are scoring below grade level in math and reading.

Ackerman said she would ask the School Reform Commission to make tough choices for the children of Philadelphia.

"People will need courage," she said. "I have no problem with courage."

By George B. Sánchez, Staff Writer | Daily News

August 25 -- As Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school partnership takes over 10 of Los Angeles' lowest-performing schools, his ambitious reform plan is being met on the campuses with both skepticism and hope.

Seven of the 10 schools' principals decided they didn't want to be part of the mayor's experiment and asked for transfers to other campuses just months before classes started.

The others remained, and the mayor has now brought in his own administrators to implement his vision. But while some of those who left said they were just looking for a different challenge or planning to retire soon anyway, others said they didn't have faith in the mayor's vision or methods.

They also felt left out in planning the fate of their own campuses.

"I'm totally for getting behind grass-roots reform, but what's the reform and how is it going to work?" said Verna Stroud, former principal of Markham Middle School. "It felt like, to me, it wasn't a partnership, it was a takeover."

The seven newly hired principals, some of them fresh to Los Angeles Unified, will be part of an untested plan - based on a framework created by the partnership, but ultimately one that is to be fine-tuned by the staff at each school.

Set against an LAUSD bureaucracy that has traditionally functioned under a strict chain of command, there is bound to be confusion.

There also likely will be discord.

The mayor's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools told principals they could stay on if they wanted. But they also expected some would choose to leave.

"We were very direct. We were honest," said Marshall Tuck, chief executive officer for the partnership. "Frankly, our job was to make sure people know what this was about. We expected people to leave."

Despite plans to free them from LAUSD headquarters, the mayor's partnership schools are not completely autonomous.

New principals could not be recruited until July 1, when the partnership contract began, Tuck said. Ideally, new principals would have been hired in April and arrive on campus before the end of the school year.

New principals were announced last week, and new assistant principals will be announced this week. But some of the old principals question whether they were ever considered.

While parents and teachers were allowed to vote on whether their campuses should leave the district and join the partnership, principals and classified employees were not offered a say.

Seasoned educators were skeptical of the latest education reform effort.

"The thing about the partnership is it's an unknown. There's no track record," said Karina Salazar, who asked for a transfer after serving as principal of 99th Street Elementary School for the past four years.

"Even though it's called a partnership, how can you call it a partnership and exclude the administrators?"

Tuck said it's unfortunate principals didn't have a vote but said they would have likely solidified support for the change.

That would have been the case with Teresa Hurtado, who was principal at Stevenson Middle School for the past 5<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>2 years.

"I didn't want to leave. I was open from the beginning to the transformation," she said.

In retrospect, she said, it seemed the partnership was interested in new leadership.

"Sure, I made the decision to leave, but what else am I going to do?" she said. "You have to have a good working relationship with your supervisor."

Stroud said no one told the principals to leave, but communication problems and a lack of collaborative opportunities led some principals to draw their own conclusions.

But the connection between the partnership and principals can drive education reform, one expert said.

"What is important in school reform is that leadership is in sync with one another from the superintendent to the principals to the teachers," said Harold Levine, dean of the school of education at University of California, Davis.

"As long as senior management and the principals are in sync, you have a much better chance for real change to benefit students. That's the bottom line."

A.J. Duffy, president of the district's teachers union, said principals should have been allowed to vote on the transformation. But their role within this vision of education reform, he said, should not be what it was.

"What we're trying to create is a completely new model and yes, the role of administrators is different because they no longer make the ultimate decision," Duffy said.

Duffy did not know if any teachers requested transfers out of the mayor's partnership schools. But if they had, their decision should be honored, to benefit students and staff alike, he said.

"We don't want teachers who are not going to buy into this, to be forced into anything," he said. "We want to make sure everyone is excited."

The actual plan for schools within the partnership was also unclear to some principals.

The partnership's vision, contained within a slim, 32-page document, Tuck said, is purposefully loose because it's meant to allow teachers and community members the opportunity to do what works, instead of being told what to do.

Stroud said that idea isn't fair.

"Everybody needs some type of leadership," she said. "I can't imagine any organization that would just give itself over to the employees and say, go do it."

The vision was just that, she said - a philosophy without a plan or instruction.

"The question was always how," she said.

But the vision appeals to some, despite only a few weeks to prepare for a new school within a new system.

Tim Sullivan, who was appointed by the partnership to take over Markham Middle School on Aug. 18, said he has followed education reform since the late 1990s and is excited by the partnership.

"This is my 18th year in education and will be one of the more exciting years in my career," he said.

Most of Sullivan's experience in education is as an administrator.

That's the key to the change in leadership, said Robert Cooper, an associate professor of education at UCLA.

"I think the concern ought to be, are people ready to take over leadership roles at those institutions," he said. "It's not just an issue of if they're new. It's about what experience they have."

The process that moved the schools out of the district and into the partnership was rushed and haphazard, said Mike O'Sullivan, president of the principals union.

There are concerns for the new principals and the support they will get, O'Sullivan said, and not necessarily who they are.

"We're cautiously optimistic things will be fine," he said. "Schools are strong institutions that are almost impossible to mess up."

Democrats are almost certain to leave their convention in Denver united behind Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as their nominee for president.

But it less likely that they’ll settle an intraparty disagreement over the most pressing question in K-12 education policy: How much can the public expect of schools?

The stark differences emerged the week after Sen. Obama secured enough delegates to claim the nomination in June. On back-to-back days, two groups released public statements outlining approaches for improving K-12 achievement.

One argued that policymakers need to invest in health care and other social programs before schools can deliver large increases in student achievement,

while the other said that increased accountability, the expansion of charter schools, and other education policies would result in better student outcomes.

Education Week at the Conventions

For the latest developments at the Democratic National Convention, read Campaign K-12.

The differences of opinion demonstrate that teachers’ unions and civil rights activists­, which traditionally have been allies and are powerful forces in the Democratic Party, disagree on some significant policy issues, particularly on education, said Patrick J. McGuinn, an assistant professor of political science at Drew University in Madison, N.J., who has written extensively about the politics of educational issues.

“They now see their policy agendas as considerably opposed to each other,” Mr. McGuinn said of the two blocs. “That’s the making of a big battle. The outcome of the struggle within the Democratic Party is going to be crucial for the future of education reform.”

Matter of Priorities

That struggle was evident in the two manifestos released on consecutive days in mid-June. Although both groups include Republican supporters, their leaders are Democrats, some of whom have served at high levels of Democratic administrations.

In one manifesto, called the “Broader, Bolder Approach to Education,” a group comprised mostly of social scientists and education researchers said that society needs to invest significantly in children’s health care and other social services, as well as extending learning time, before student achievement will increase dramatically.

The next day, the Education Equality Project—a group of urban educators and civil rights activists—endorsed a series of educational policies such as tough accountability measures, innovative teacher pay, and expanding charter schools, that they say would increase student achievement regardless of changes in other social or health care policies.

The draft of the Democratic platform to be considered by the convention’s delegates contains policies proposed by both groups.

The draft, which closely follows Sen. Obama’s rhetoric from the primary campaign, recommends experimenting with alternative forms of teacher pay—a point emphasized by the Education Equality Project.

“We’ll reward effective teachers who teach in underserved areas, take on added responsibilities like mentoring new teachers, or consistently excel in the classroom,” the proposed platform says.

On accountability, the draft says Democrats would use the No Child Left Behind law to track whether schools are closing the achievement gap between white students and minorities.

The draft also promises to expand learning opportunities by extending the school day, offering summer school, and other efforts to help students, according to one of the proposals listed in the “Broader, Bolder” statement.

Outside of education, the platform outlines a plan to provide “affordable, quality health care coverage for all Americans,” a priority of the “Broader, Bolder” statement.

“All of the pieces are there,” said Lawrence Mishel, the president of the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute and one of the organizers of the “Broader, Bolder” effort.

While one goal of the Democrats is to unify themselves around the platform, voices from both the “Broader, Bolder” and Education Equality camps were scheduled to promote their agendas this week in Denver.

The Education Equality Project had scheduled an Aug. 24 forum at the Denver Art Museum to discuss its proposals. Joel I. Klein, the chancellor of the 1.1 million-student New York City school system, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, the New York City-based community leader and civil rights activist, were both slated to speak on panels at the event. Mr. Klein and Mr. Sharpton organized the effort to produce the Education Equality Project’s statement.

The next night, Randi Weingarten, the president of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, who supports the “Broader, Bolder” approach, was scheduled to speak to the Democratic convention during prime time. Reg Weaver, the president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association, also was listed as a speaker during the convention’s opening night.

The debate over education policy and its priorities is unlikely to play a prominent role in the fall campaign because education policy issues haven’t been a top-tier concern of voters this year. But the statements do illuminate the differences among Democrats that will arise once the next president takes office and Congress returns to its effort to reauthorize the NCLB law.

Campaign Topic

The debate over the dueling statements emerged in the presidential campaign briefly earlier this month. In a New York City speech, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who is to be nominated by the Republicans next week in St. Paul, Minn., said he would sign the Education Equality Project’s statement and challenged Sen. Obama to do so. ("McCain Supports 'Equality Project'," Aug. 13, 2008.)

Sen. Obama’s campaign didn’t respond to Sen. McCain’s speech. After both the “Broader, Bolder” and Education Equality statements were released in June, an Obama campaign aide said that the Illinois Democrat endorsed the sentiments in both statements because he believes federal policymakers should improve access to health care and social services while also working to improve schools.

The response isn’t surprising because the two statements are compatible, said Arne Duncan, the chief executive officer of the 408,000-student Chicago Public Schools.

“The debate over either/or is a phony debate,” said Mr. Duncan, who was the only person who signed both the “Broader, Bolder” and Equation Equality statements when they were released in June. “It should be both/and, and we should push as hard as we can on both fronts.”

Mr. Klein, the New York City Schools chancellor, who was a senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice under President Clinton, said the differences between the two statements is mostly a question of emphasis and priorities. He supports the “Broader, Bolder” statement’s call for improved health care and social services, but he added that he believes schools can improve students’ performance without them.

“I have no doubt that bad schools significantly contribute to [lower] student achievement,” Mr. Klein said in an interview. “Why do we want to let schools off the hook?”

Critics have said that the “Broader, Bolder” statement would do just that because it doesn’t emphasize how to hold schools accountable and it does not explain how it will require schools to improve the academic outcomes of students.

Robert B. Schwartz, the academic dean of Harvard University’s graduate school of education and one of the original signers of the “Broader, Bolder” statement, responded that many of the statement’s supporters include people who have argued for educational accountability, including Marshall S. Smith, whose academic research in the 1980s and early 1990s provided the conceptual framework for educational accountability efforts, and Diane Ravitch, a noted historian of education who served as an assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush.

But one critic of the “Broader, Bolder” statement said that several other supporters of that approach are critical of existing accountability measures and that the statement itself lacks a specific explanation of how the group proposes to change them.

“They’re absent on accountability,” said Kevin Carey, the research and policy director for Education Sector, a Washington-based think tank. “There’s nothing in the manifesto that provides enough concrete detail.”

Informing NCLB

While the differences between the two camps may not be prominent during the convention, they almost certainly will be a major part of the debate over the future of the NCLB law.

“A lot of this will get fleshed out in the reauthorization of NCLB,” said Mr. McGuinn of Drew University.

The 6½-year-old law, one of President Bush’s most significant domestic accomplishments, requires states to hold schools and districts accountable for increasing student achievement on a pace toward all students being proficient by the end of the 2013-14 school year. A congressional effort to reauthorize the law stalled last year. The law’s renewal will be one of the top K-12 priorities for the next Congress, regardless of whether Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain is elected president.

The “Broader, Bolder” statement says: “The potential effectiveness of NCLB has been seriously undermined ... by its acceptance of the popular assumptions that bad schools are the major reason for low achievement, and that an academic program revolving around standards, testing, teacher training, and accountability can, in and of itself, offset the full impact of low socioeconomic status on achievement.”

Instead, policymakers should look for ways to replace the “flawed accountability systems” established under the NCLB law with ones that use “appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods,” the statement adds.

“We will not surrender one inch on the issue of reforming schools and having an accountability system,” said Mr. Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute, a research group with ties to major labor unions.

“I’m not sure that other people have spelled out their full accountability system either,” said Mr. Mishel.

The Education Equality Project doesn’t mention the NCLB law, but it does say that policymakers should “take immediate steps to ... create accountability for educational success at every level—at the system and school level, for teachers and principals, and for central-office administrators.”

In July, Mr. Klein, Mr. Duncan, Michelle A. Rhee, the chancellor of the 50,000-student District of Columbia school system, and Beverly L. Hall, the superintendent of the 51,000-student Atlanta Public Schools, told a congressional committee that they support the NCLB law’s accountability measures. ("City Leaders Back Stronger Accountability," July 30, 2008.)

August 25 -- Children across the country will return to school this year to face a money-hungry bully: the unstable economy.

Soaring food prices will extract more lunch money from students, while higher pump prices mean children will either pay more to ride a gas-guzzling bus or won't get a seat at all. Field trips are being reduced or scrapped altogether to save fuel.

It doesn't stop there.

California budget cuts mean students will compete for the attention of fewer teachers. Some electives will be nixed, and booster clubs and education foundations, which raise money for such things as classroom projects, are collecting less as businesses cut back and parents fret over job security.

"I think everybody, if they're not struggling themselves, they're aware that the overall economy is declining and there's just a sense of caution," said Teresa Barnett, an Albany parent and board member of the Albany education foundation SchoolCARE. "Just the basics, the fuel and food prices are enough to be crimping people's budgets."

Gas prices shot up an estimated 35 percent to 40 percent nationwide in the past year, while food costs jumped between 12 percent and 20 percent.

Those grumbling yellow buses — which have 25- to 100-gallon tanks and chug along at seven to eight miles per gallon — can cost as much as $400 to $500 to fill. That has forced schools across the country to make cost-saving shortcuts on service or to charge fees.

The service changes come at a time when many schools are seeing more students at the bus stop because parents no longer can afford the gas used to drive their children to school.

Bay Area school leaders have taken measures of their own. The Fremont school district this week will consider doubling its annual student bus fee to $700; the John Swett district increased bus fees to $300 this year. Contra Costa's Knightsen school district, which used to let students ride for free, now charges $200 annually.

Hayward students may see more localized field trips and fewer buses as the district consolidates routes, said Debi Parker, Hayward Unified's transportation manager.

"We're trying to tighten it up as much as we possibly can," Parker said, noting that the district pays $4.27 for diesel fuel and the cost fluctuates weekly.

Some administrators likened the situation to the oil crisis of three decades ago.

"In the '70s we couldn't get fuel," said Bill Stephens, Fremont's associate superintendent of business services. "Today we can get the fuel, but it's exploding in cost for us."

Pump prices also are driving up food costs, as drivers add fuel surcharges to customer costs. Districts are paying more than ever to stock cafeterias with staples such as milk and they're passing the cost on to students.

A recent survey by the national School Nutrition Association said that 75 percent of responding school districts had either raised school lunch prices or plan to this year.

"We've been dealing with this for quite a few months now," said Stephanie Bruce, School Nutrition Association president and director of food and nutrition services at the Ontario-Montclair school district in Southern California.

"Everything is being passed on, even with the cost of fuel going up, it doesn't just effect food and gas prices, it effects all of our petroleum products, like lunch trays."

The Albany school district increased prices by 50 cents last week; the Antioch, Oakland, John Swett, Dublin and New Haven districts recently raised prices, as well. Students who receive free and reduced-cost lunches will not be charged more.

California children who escape lunch and bus increases will be bullied by the economy in other ways.

The state's budget deficit necessitated that districts throughout the state cut millions from budgets in the spring, meaning fewer teachers, supplies and class offerings. Children in the Mt. Diablo school district will have fewer electives and larger kindergarten classrooms. West Contra Costa students must make due without some of their favorite secretaries, teachers and other staff members.

Outside the classroom, parents hampered by high costs will have to make difficult decisions during back-to-school shopping trips.

Parents have become used to paying more for things that schools increasingly can't provide, such as sports uniforms, class projects and proms. That's why Hayward High senior Verena Kwan said she was not too concerned about the economy's grip on schools.

"Senior year you kind of expect to fork over a lot of money," she said. "

But Richmond parent Maria Lopez was worried. She watched her grocery and gas bills swell over the past several months, and because of that she had little money to spend on school clothes this year.

"It's difficult right now, definitely," Lopez said. "I worry about how I'm going to get them to school; I worry about how I'm going to pay for supplies. I'm just holding on right now, but I'm afraid it's going to get a lot worse."

Dear Friend: An estimated 25,000 lives have been saved by the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA), which is why we were gravely concerned to learn that the college and university presidents and representatives listed below have added their names to a misguided initiative aimed at attacking the minimum drinking age of 21..

A greater proportion of Americans think that Sen. Barack Obama would be more likely than Sen. John McCain to improve public schools as president, according to a poll being released today.

The survey, conducted by Phi Delta Kappa International and the Gallup Organization, reports that 46 percent of respondents viewed Sen. Obama as the candidate for the White House better able to strengthen public education, compared with 29 percent for Sen. McCain. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they didn’t know which candidate would be better able to handle school policy.

Silent but deadly, Prop. 6 is the ballot measure that no one has heard of, but that could have catastrophic effects on young people in California, writes Kevin Weston.

With Proposition 6 on the California ballot this November, young people in the Golden State have a reason to vote that trumps putting the first non-white man in the White House.

The Runner Initiative – or the “Safe Neighborhood Act” – is the single worst thing that could happen to California youth since the passage of Proposition 21 allowed 16 year-olds to be tried as adults. Prop. 6 does Prop. 21 one better – it would allow 14-year-old “gang members” to be tried as adults.

●●smf's 2¢: No one disputes the value of competition or the goal of strong schools. I feel strange defending Roy Romer - I miss him sometimes but he could always defend himself! What is going on here however in insidious; Rep Tancredo is using the technique of 'The Big Lie' - stating personally held belief as proven fact and arming himself and his cause with spurious and suspect proof.

THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY WILL INEVITABLY MISSTATE IT: Fuzzy thinking proves noting except perhaps the inferiority of fuzzy thought and the absurdity of fuzzy thinkers.

Let us begin with Tancredo's description of Romer: "Romer left Colorado to become superintendent of schools for the Los AngelesUnifiedSchool District, a job he held for more than a decade. That district's school board was controlled by the teachers union and he had a friendly City Council as well."

Really? Whatever Rep. Tancredo taught when he was a teacher - and thankfully he's not teaching now - it must not have been history! Romer was Chairman of the DNC after he left Colorado. Romer's LAUSD superintendency lasted six years. Six, count 'em: six! And he had a 'friendly city council' as well? The only three times the city council had anything to do with LAUSD (the state constitution and the city charter forbid them meddling therewith):

1. They voted unanimously to support the mayor's (illegal) takeover of the school district under AB1381 -in direct opposition to Romer.

2. They helped appoint a commission to investigate the governance of the school district.

3. They put a ballot measure on the ballot that:

· raised school board members salaries

· and limited the terms of school board.

(Wait: two things in one ballot measure? ...isn't that illegal? Oh well, another windmill for another time)

· When Romer became superintendent the school board was not 'controlled' by the teachers union; if anything the opposite was true. A majority was 'supported' by [anti teacher's union] Mayor Riordan and Eli Broad.

· And the teacher's union - it must be remembered - also broke with the board they 'controlled' and supported AB 1361.

The rest of Tencredo's argument is similarly and substantially hogwash.

Last week, Gov. Bill Ritter and former Gov. Roy Romer wrote a column about the state of education in America. In it, I believe they've unwittingly made a powerful argument for precisely the kind of educational reform that they have publicly opposed for many years: school choice.

In 10 years, the governors want to cut the high school dropout rate in half and double the number of college degrees awarded to in- state Colorado students. These are great goals for our state but the only way to achieve them is through a competitive educational system.

► OUR GOAL: STRONG SCHOOLS

By Gov. Bill Ritter and Roy Romer: OpEd: The Denver Post

Next weekend, the Democrats will gather in Denver and one of their first priorities will be to adopt a party platform. The following week, the Republicans will gather in Minneapolis with a similar mission. The parties' final platforms will likely note rising energy costs, increasing unemployment rates and this nation's ongoing housing crisis — all important issues.

But amid this discussion, we need a clear and reasoned voice to continually make the case that strong public education is the best driver of future economic growth.

Caprice Young, the head of the California Charter Schools Assn. and former Los Angeles school board member, is expected to announce this morning that she is stepping down to take a new job at an education company.

Young is credited by both critics and supporters of charter schools with spearheading the movement in California, which grew during her five-year tenure to more than 300 publicly financed, independently run campuses.

For the second year, the Council of the Great City Schools has released detailed data on the business performance of the nation’s largest school districts—part of an initiative designed to help urban educators improve noninstructional operations of their districts.

The report features two years of data on transportation, food services, procurement, security, and maintenance from many of the 66 large school districts that are members of the council, a Washington-based organization that created the multiyear project to identify key indicators and best practices to guide districts on how to perform more efficiently.

The report also includes first-time benchmark data on budgeting and finance, human resources, and information technology. It presents city-by-city data so that member districts can see how they stack up against high-performing systems.

Rising costs for fuel, food and labor are forcing school cafeterias nationwide to raise prices, cut jobs and, in some cases, dip into "rainy day" funds to put food on trays, according to congressional testimony to be delivered today.

The U.S. Agriculture Department chipped in an extra dime a meal last week to help schools pay for lunches. The new maximum rate is now $2.57, up from $2.47 in 2007.

But school nutrition directors say that doesn't keep pace with costs, which will climb 30 cents a meal this year to a national average of $2.88, the School Nutrition Association says.

"The algebra mandate is, and will always be, as pointless as it is unrealistic. But issue a stupid order and, as O'Connell almost said, you deserve a stupid response."

Last week, O'Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, called for an additional $3.1 billion a year to allow California's middle schools to meet a three-year deadline by which all students must take (and presumably pass) algebra in the eighth grade.

That, for at least a short spell, made him the funniest man in Sacramento. And it was all done with a straight face. O'Connell called it his "Algebra I Success Initiative" and launched it with a press conference backed by the requisite spear carriers from the education establishment, a budget, and all the other paraphernalia appertaining to serious public business.

The seeds of a thousand lessons are sown in five acres of North Hollywood dirt, tended by a man named Mud.

Here in this little-known oasis, Mud Baron and urban teenagers with a heretofore unknown penchant for rare flowers toil under a blazing sun to raise lemon verbena, tomatoes, lettuce and other greenery that hundreds of Los Angeles schools will use to jump-start their gardens this fall. They also cultivate exotic plants, including exuberantly colored dahlias the size of dinner plates, to sell at farmers markets.

The California Faculty Association has launched a strategic campaign targeting Republicans in open swing seat districts that are ripe for Democrats to win in November. The goal of the campaign is to stop Republicans who seem determined to slash our public education system and burn our economic future.